Another thing that I enjoy in Jamaica is the variety of flowers. This is a photo of Alpinia purpurata (Red Ginger Flower). One of the words that comes to my mind when I see these flowers is “exotic.” Which then makes me wonder, what qualifies as exotic? The common definition is “characteristic of a distant foreign country.” So I guess it would be considered exotic in Ohio but maybe not in Jamaica?

For some reason, this brings to mind the many parables and comparisons that Jesus makes to “the kingdom of God.” Jesus compares something “exotic” to something familiar.

“What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” Luke 13:18-19